Two Become One
by Nukinfutz112
Summary: When an antisocial rogue falls for an energetic, talkative ThunderClan she-cat who refuses to leave him alone, what drama unfolds? Set in forest territory with the canon Clans. All characters are original, however. In the event that you were unaware, I don't own Warriors.
1. Prologue and First Post of Allegiances

ThunderClan:

Leader:

Lionstar: Large, long-furred golden tabby tom with pale green eyes. 50 moons old.  
Kin: Brightsun (mother), Sungaze (father), Eagleflight (littermate/brother), Goldenpaw (daughter), Brownpaw (son), Fernpaw (daughter)  
Mate: Leaftail  
Apprentice: Cedarpaw

Deputy:

Fishpelt: Average-sized white tom with a few brown tabby patches and blue eyes. 30 moons old.  
Kin: Troutblaze (father)  
Mate: Featherfur  
Apprentice: Haypaw

Medicine cat:

Oakpelt: Large brown tabby tom with pale amber eyes. 52 moons old.  
Kin: Unknown  
Mate:  
Apprentice:

Elders:

Brightsun: Small short-furred pale golden she-cat with green eyes. 70 moons old.  
Kin: Dewfern (mother, deceased, had last litter at 60 moons, died at 80), Swiftbreeze (younger sister by 20 moons), Lionstar (son), Eagleflight (son)  
Mate: Sungaze

Sungaze: Large golden tabby tom with pale yellow eyes. 65 moons old.  
Kin: Lionstar (son), Eagleflight (son)  
Mate: Brightsun

Troutblaze: Large gray tabby tom with green eyes. 68 moons old.  
Kin: Fishpelt (son)  
Mate: Tinystep (deceased)

Queens:

Spottednight: Average-size white she-cat with several black patches and amber eyes. 20 moons old.  
Kin: Shadowpelt (mother)  
Mate: Brackenstep  
Kits are currently unborn.

Warriors:

Swiftbreeze: Small, lithe she-cat with a gray-and-white pelt and pale blue eyes. 50 moons old.  
Kin: Dewfern (mother), Brightsun (sister), Lionstar (nephew)  
Mate:  
Apprentice: Leafpaw

Shadowpelt: Average-size, lithe she-cat with a pure black pelt and amber eyes. 40 moons old.  
Kin: Spottednight (daughter), Black-kit (grandson), Dark-kit (granddaughter), Frogkit (grandson)  
Mate:  
Apprentice: Redpaw

Tigerstripe: Large brown tabby tom with green eyes. 28 moons old.  
Kin:  
Mate:  
Apprentice: Fernpaw

Featherfur: Small, long-furred pale gray she-cat with green eyes. 27 moons old.  
Kin:  
Mate: Fishpelt

Brackenstep: Large brown tabby tom with green eyes. 22 moons old.  
Kin: Black-kit (son), Dark-kit (daughter), Frogkit (son)  
Mate: Spottednight  
Apprentice:

Silverfeather: Average-size gray tabby with amber eyes. 15 moons old.  
Kin:  
Mate:  
Apprentice: Mosspaw

Cloudpelt: Average-size long-furred pale gray tom (almost looks white) with pale blue eyes. 13 moons old.  
Kin:  
Mate:  
Apprentice: Dapplepaw

Apprentices:

Leafpaw: Average-size pale brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. 10 moons old.  
Kin: Redpaw (sister)  
Mentor: Swiftbreeze

Redpaw: Average-size dark ginger she-cat with green eyes. 10 moons old.  
Kin: Leafpaw (sister)  
Mentor: Shadowpelt

Cedarpaw: Large brown tabby tom with deep amber eyes. 6 moons old.  
Kin: Haypaw (brother)  
Mentor: Lionstar

Haypaw: Large dark golden tabby tom with amber eyes. 6 moons old.  
Kin: Cedarpaw (brother)  
Mentor: Fishpelt

Dapplepaw: Average-size, though tall, calico she-cat with bright green eyes. 6 moons old.  
Kin: Fernpaw (sister), Mosspaw (sister)  
Mentor: Cloudpelt

Fernpaw: Small tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes. 6 moons old.  
Kin: Dapplepaw (sister), Mosspaw (sister)  
Mentor: Tigerstripe

Mosspaw: Small tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes. 6 moons old.  
Kin: Dapplepaw (sister), Fernpaw (sister)  
Mentor: Silverfeather

Kits:

None currently.

All you need right now are the ThunderClan allegiances. Trust me. The other Clans are useless for the time being.

* * *

It was about sunhigh. The grass was full and vibrant, there were few clouds in the sky, and the sun was blazing. A perfectly normal day for the young, yet large, pale gray tabby tom. His green eyes were narrowed, sharp, ready to catch sight of any food. It was greenleaf, and though he had plenty of prey, more was always nice. Besides, Storm felt that he was hungry enough for a bit of lunch.

The tom was only 8 moons old, and his parents had just left him on his own. They would've left when he was fully weaned, at 6 moons, but just in case something were to happen to him, they decided to train him in hunting and fighting a bit more before moving on. Storm wondered if the two loners would ever have more kits, but it wasn't his concern either way.  
Like his father once was, Storm was a rogue. His mother had always been a loner, and his father became a loner so he could always travel with her, because she did love to travel, rather than staying in one piece of territory her whole life. Storm preferred to stay where he'd been brought up, and like the Clans that were near him, he marked his territory's scent and challenged all that came through. He was stubborn and wouldn't back down without a fight, even if the cats were much bigger than he. Of course, many were bigger, and Storm often lost fights, but what could be expected? The cat wasn't even fully grown yet!

As Storm prowled forward, he almost purred. It wasn't like him to act like this, but the soft grass underpaw and the heat of the sun against his back just made him feel like laying around and purring the day away. Maybe he'd head down to those rocks. What did the Clans call them? Ah, yes, Sunningrocks! The name was quite appropriate, at least, Storm thought so.

"Alright, now that you've learned a bit, you have to go out and get yourself some prey. ThunderClan normally doesn't tread into those fields because rogues and loners are out there, but I think it might be a good place to start." The sound of an adult tom's voice made Storm stop. He sounded quite young, actually, but there was enough authority in his voice for Storm to realize he must've been a young warrior. Storm honestly knew hardly anything about the Clans, but he'd come over to the ThunderClan border to overhear some conversations in his moons, so he knew a bit... He knew there was a leader and warriors and apprentices. Warriors trained apprentices. There were four Clans. Or were there 5? Maybe it was 6? Well, that was the extent to Storm's knowledge on Clans, anyway.

"Okay, got it, Cloudpelt!" A she-cat's voice came next. It was a light-hearted voice. She must've been the apprentice. She was definitely a new apprentice, by the sound of it. Storm could sense that she was very eager.

Before Storm knew it, the younger cat, who turned out to be a calico she-cat with green eyes like his own, was stalking around _his_ territory. He heard the warrior's voice again, "Tigerstripe and I will be checking the river, okay? Just catch up to us once you've got some prey!" The tom, Cloudpelt, and who Storm assumed to be Tigerstripe, talked as they left, their voices fading as they got farther and farther away.

Storm watched with widening eyes as the calico she-cat came closer. She was about to go right past Storm, but the young tom leaped out at her, his ears flat to his head, his eyes fully dilated, and his claws and teeth were prepared to shred. "Get off my territory!" The large light gray tabby screeched.

* * *

A/N: I'm pretty sure every chapter I've written past this one is longer than this, so if you like long chapters, then it gets better. xD I'm open to all reviews. However, if you dislike the story and are going to review, I simply ask that your review is at least a little constructive, rather than outright flaming.


	2. Chapter 1: Cue the Fight!

Storm landed on the calico she-cat, knocking her to the ground. Her eyes were wide in fear, and as Storm clawed into her side, she squealed in pain and lashed out at him, batting him on the face with her claws unsheathed. Storm stumbled back, now standing in the grass, and retaliated the blow, scratching the ThunderClanner right back.

"Stop!" She mewed pathetically, crouching in fear. Storm stood in front of her, his pelt fluffed up in rage. He stood tall, clearly intimidating her. "Please stop! I didn't know this was your territory! I promise I didn't know! I really, truly didn't know. I'm sorry." She was trembling at this point, and Storm felt a sharp prickle of guilt, but it only lasted a moment, for the anger was back almost as instantly as it had left.

"Stay away from my territory next time. Your Clan has much more territory than I could ever even _think_ of having. Can't I have my small piece of land without your kind hunting in it?" Storm growled. It was then that the calico she-cat noticed his scars from previous fights. Storm knew this because she was looking at his pelt and flinched a few times.

"How old are you?" She asked, her voice laced more with curiosity than fear at this point.

"What does it matter to you?" Storm retaliated. It was none of this dumb she-cat's business!

"How old are you?" The ThunderClan apprentice asked again.

Storm sighed, realizing she wasn't about to give up, "About 8 moons. You?"

"6 moons." She answered. She stood up a bit, reaching up to Storm so she could scent him. "My name is Dapplepaw. What's your name?"

"Storm." Storm hissed as Dapplepaw scented him, and she backed off. "Why don't you go now? I'm sick of you being here."

Dapplepaw's ears fell back again, and this time it wasn't in fear as much as it was in sadness. Disappointment, possibly. "You don't have to be so rude, you know."

"You're trespassing on my territory! You've probably scared away all the prey! Go away before I tear your pelt off!" Storm yowled at her. The gray tabby tom was becoming furious with this persistent, seemingly-ignorant ThunderClan cat. Were all Clan cats this irritating?

"Fine, then. I'll go." Dapplepaw hissed back, her tail lashing. She padded away from Storm, but once she got to the tree line, she cast a quick glance back at him. Storm had been watching her as she walked away, but when she looked back at him, he merely spit and headed off.

Storm stopped by the river that marked ThunderClan and RiverClan's borders with each other, and crouched, lapping up the cool water. The water was quiet and not too fast at this time of year, but there was definitely a current. After he was done drinking, Storm cleaned his pelt. He didn't mind water all that much, and since he was decently covered in blood, both his own and a bit of Dapplepaw's, the tom shrugged and jumped fearlessly into the water. He stood, his paws pressed against the round, worn stones of the riverbed. When he stood in this part of the river, Storm's shoulders were at the surface of the water, so there was no chance of him drowning, really. The tom felt the water flow around him, and he purred. The weather was nice, he got into a fight, and finally, Storm was chilling in the water. Quite the eventful, great day!


	3. Chapter 2: Cold Nights

A few moons had gone by since Storm had met Dapplepaw. 3, to be exact. He'd often see her at the edge of the treeline, looking out at his territory. They hadn't spoken since they met, but every time Storm had gone into the open when Dapplepaw was around, she'd instantly turn and run off into her own territory. It was odd, in Storm's opinion. It was as if she was searching for him, but upon finding him, she was too nervous to leave ThunderClan territory again and talk to him. Maybe she was scared of him. It was probably for the better, since Storm definitely didn't need any other cat in his life. If it weren't for Dapplepaw's hanging around at the edge of Storm's territory practically every day, Storm probably would've forgotten all about her, which he would've been fine with.

As it was leaf-fall, the nights had certainly gotten colder. It seemed to Storm that the leaves had fallen off the trees much sooner this year than the year before, and that it had started getting colder much faster. Storm found himself shivering in the cold every night, which he wasn't expecting to happen until leaf-bare.  
Storm had been born in raised in a little cave that was in the side of one of the hills on which Storm lived. The only thing that Storm had for bedding, as a result of living in fields, however, was the long grass through which he padded every day, and that grass wasn't comfortable or warm in any way. Storm would've liked to sneak into ThunderClan's territory sometime during greenleaf, but he didn't want to depend on going into others' territories for things he needed, especially after chasing every single cat he met off for so much as putting one paw in his territory. It just wouldn't be right in Storm's green eyes.

One particular night, the cold got really bad, and Storm scented another cat coming near as he tried pathetically to sleep. "Storm? Are you there, Storm?" A voice he'd heard only one day came back to him, and Storm's claws sank into the grass on which he lay.

"Dapplepaw!" The tom growled, "What do you want? Didn't I tell you to go away?"

"Well, yeah, but that was three moons ago, and..."

"I meant forever!" Storm retaliated. He saw Dapplepaw's silhouette against the moonlight, her green eyes shining in the darkness. The moon was full. "Shouldn't you be in your den, anyway? I don't want your Clanmates to come bothering me because you've been here."

Dapplepaw's ears fell back once again and her tail drooped. "My Clanmates won't find out, trust me. I just wanted to bring you this." The calico apprentice picked up a bunch of moss that was near her and placed it by Storm. "No cat in ThunderClan has said anything about scenting intruders around, and I wondered what you used for bedding, since I knew that no intruders meant you hadn't gone into ThunderClan territory to find some moss. With that, I decided to bring you some, since this year is so cold."

Storm was taken aback. Here he was thinking that Dapplepaw came to annoy him, but instead, she brought with her a present of sorts. He was grateful, but like he'd show that! "Take it back." Storm said.

"No." Dapplepaw mewed.

"Take it back and go to your camp or whatever. They're going to find out you're gone." Storm said.

"No they won't. The Clans are at the gathering right now. Don't you know anything about Clans? The full moon means a gathering! I was supposed to stay in camp, but since the others that stayed back are all sleeping, I snuck out." She sat down and began casually washing a paw.

"For the last time, Dapplepaw," Storm began to snarl and stood up, "Go away!"

"Storm." Dapplepaw whispered forlornly, looking at him.

Something about the tone of her voice when she said it, or maybe it was the upset look she gave him, made Storm give in. He sighed, "Look, Dapplepaw, thank you for the moss. Really. I do appreciate it. Please, though, for your own sake, leave my territory. I don't want you to get in trouble." He padded over to her and ran his tail along her flank. Storm couldn't believe himself, but somehow, he felt that it was the right thing to do. He'd never been guilt tripped in his entire life before now.

This definitely seemed to satisfy Dapplepaw quite a bit. "I'm glad you at least are happy with the moss." She purred, "But, please, Storm, let me come back! At least sometimes!"

"No." Storm meowed sternly. Dapplepaw purred, flicked an ear, and batted his face playfully at this.

"You'd better make plans to see me around again!" She mewed before running back to her territory. Storm sighed again. She was so persistent!


	4. Chapter 3: It's Just Practice!

A/N: Storm's age as of this chapter: 12 moons old. Dapplepaw's age as of this chapter: 10 moons old.

* * *

Another moon had passed. Dapplepaw had managed to sneak away from her Clan daily. Storm honestly didn't know how she did it. They often hunted together, or one would bring prey to the other. Storm was getting very used to having Dapplepaw around, and though he'd _never_ admit it, he was beginning to think of her as a friend. She was the only cat he talked to, and really the only cat he needed to talk to, considering Dapplepaw talked so much!

"If only you were at the gathering! It was so great! Since it's leaf-bare now, everyone's on edge, and it looks like RiverClan's going to attack us! If they do, it'll be my first battle! I'm so excited!" Dapplepaw mewed, walking very closely to Storm. "ShadowClan and WindClan are at each others' throats, too."

"Well, if you have a battle, be careful, alright?" Storm blurted out. He regretted it a moment later. He hated showing any emotion that wasn't anger.

Dapplepaw's fur bristled slightly, and Storm guessed she was surprised, but her sudden purr told him that she was quite pleased with what he had said. "What? Worried about me?" The calico teased.

"Never." Storm growled in reply.

"Sure, Storm." She glanced at him with her green eyes, which were quite a bit brighter than his. Storm had a deeper, darker green color for his eyes. "Anyway, mind if I practice my battle moves on you?"

"Not at all." Storm said. He blinked at Dapplepaw, happy that he'd be able to use his claws on something other than rock for once. There hadn't been any trespassers to his territory lately, so Storm had been itching for a fight that never came.  
The tom crouched, prepared to retaliate whatever move Dapplepaw had planned for him.

Dapplepaw took a deep breath and lunged at Storm, her claws sheathed. Her jaw gaped open, and she gently bit his throat. Storm unsheathed his claws and raked them across her belly. Dapplepaw leaped back and squealed, "Hey! You're supposed to keep your claws sheathed!"

"Who said?"

"Every warrior I've ever met!"

"I'm no Clan cat. I don't follow Clan rules. How was I supposed to know that you keep your claws sheathed in training?"

"Well, you are." Dapplepaw said, her ears flat to her head.

"Why is that?" Storm questioned. "After all, if you keep your claws unsheathed, the training is more real, and will give you a better taste of what a real battle is like. I could see apprentices getting scared and shocked during their first battle when they feel a lot of pain from other cats' claws."

Dapplepaw's eyes narrowed and her tail lashed, "Apprentices aren't stupid! We know we're going to feel pain when we get into a real battle! If we trained with our claws unsheathed, then we'd be getting many more wounds and wouldn't be as strong for battle. Not only that, but our medicine cats would waste herbs on us just for training when they could be using them when the herbs are actually needed."

Storm shrugged, "Your answer's good enough. I'll keep my claws sheathed." He let his claws slide back into their sheathes and waited.

Dapplepaw nodded then ran at Storm again, but this time, she swerved to his right flank and batted at it. This took Storm by surprise, but he was much bigger than Dapplepaw, so she didn't knock him down or even unbalance him. He stood on his hind legs and grabbed hold of Dapplepaw with his forepaws. The gray tabby threw her to the side and landed on all four paws. He headed over to her and stepped on her with his forepaws when she was done, causing her to be unable to get back up. Storm heard the calico she-cat hiss and backed off. "Maybe you should stick to hunting." The rogue tom mewed, licking a paw.

"I can't! Every cat in a Clan fights and hunts, except for the medicine cat and their apprentice!" Dapplepaw mewed. "It doesn't matter if I'm bad or not. As long as I serve my Clan loyally and put my Clan above myself, then I'm fine."

Storm glanced at the ThunderClanner. "Loyally, huh? Well, if you were loyal to your Clan, then you'd stay in your own territory, now wouldn't you? What's the point in marking your land if you're not going to stay within those markings? Putting your Clan above yourself sounds pretty stupid, too. We all try our best to survive, don't we? Why would you put a bunch of other cats, some that you may not even have any care for, above yourself? It's not right. Live your own life, Dapplepaw. Care about yourself above all others."

Dapplepaw stared at Storm with dilated eyes. As she sat up, her shoulders drooped. "Shut up, Storm. You don't know what it's like to be in a Clan." She meowed weakly. "So you _still_ don't want me around, do you? I thought you'd gotten over it. Fine, then. I'll go. Forever. Goodbye, Storm." With that, Dapplepaw padded off, her head and tail drooping.

Storm, once again, watched as she left. This time, however, she didn't look back.


	5. Chapter 4: Hurt?

Only a few days had passed since Storm got rid of Dapplepaw for good. He was hunting along the edge of his territory, right next to ThunderClan's territory.

"So do you even know if you're her mentor anymore?" A she-cat's voice sounded in Storm's ears, and he pressed himself as flat to the ground as he could, listening in on the ThunderClanners' conversation.

"Lionstar hasn't told me yet, actually, Silverfeather." It was the same tom as before! What was his name? Cloudpelt! Dapplepaw had talked about her mentor a few times, anyway, which was probably how Storm remembered.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he assigned you Black-kit, Dark-kit, or Frogkit as a new apprentice, because who knows if she's even going to survive?" Silverfeather said.

"I know. I just can't help but feel bad. Dapplepaw's so sweet and has so much energy. It would be a waste if she didn't make it to warriorhood." Cloudpelt replied.

Something was wrong with Dapplepaw. Suddenly, Storm felt a stab of guilt. He had been so horrible to her, and now she was sick or something, and might _die_. The tom shuddered, and as he did, Silverfeather growled, "There's someone there!"

"Come out!" Cloudpelt snarled.

Storm took a deep breath, cursing himself in his mind for making any movement. The large, pale gray tabby stood up and padded forward. He didn't cross the scent line, but he was standing a whisker length from it.

"Who are you?" Cloudpelt asked. He was an average sized tom. Couldn't have been older than 16 moons, by the look of him.

"My name is Storm. This is my territory. I have never entered yours." Storm meowed, lashing his tail a single time to show the other two cats the vast fields that belonged to him.

"Loner or rogue?" Silverfeather questioned. She was short-furred, unlike Cloudpelt, and had a medium-shade gray tabby pelt with deep amber eyes.

Storm shrugged, "I stay in this one territory. I've claimed it as my parents had. I attack all those who enter it, but I don't look for trouble. I guess you could call me a rogue, if you want."

"Make sure you stay off ThunderClan territory." Silverfeather growled.

"Didn't you hear me? I've never entered your territory."

"What are you doing by the border, then?" Cloudpelt challenged. He had fur that was almost white, but it had a gray tint to it for the most part. His eyes were pale blue.

"Well, I was hunting, but I stopped when I heard you talking." Storm answered calmly.

"So you eavesdropped?" Silverfeather mewed. Her tail was lashing fiercely, and Storm could see her claws unsheathe then sheathe repeatedly.

"Yeah, but I have a reason for it." Storm said.

"Look, we have things to do. You're obviously bored." Cloudpelt said. "What are your reasons? Be straightforward so we can get on with our lives."

Storm's eyes narrowed. Could he trust Cloudpelt and Silverfeather? He didn't know them. "You plan on reporting me to your leader?"

Cloudpelt and Silverfeather exchanged a glance. "That depends. Are your reasons bad?" Silverfeather asked.

"Not for me, but for one of your Clanmates." Storm replied.

"Well," Cloudpelt began, "I guess not. What do you say, Silverfeather?"

"Alright, we'll keep quiet." Silverfeather nodded.

"I heard you talking about Dapplepaw. A few moons ago, Dapplepaw and I got into a fight, and after that, she would come to the edge of your territory and stare out into my territory. When I'd see her, she would run off back into your forest. She brought moss to me once during leaf-fall, and for the next moon, visited me every day. We hung out, hunted, and all of that, but I never felt like she should've been hanging around. I prefer to be on my own, and I had a feeling she'd get in trouble. I finally got her to stop coming around a few days ago. The last time I saw her, we got into another fight after I scratched her. She wanted to train in case there was a battle or whatever, and I didn't know that Clan cats train with claws sheathed." Storm explained. At the end, he got a bit sheepish, and looked down at his paws.

"I see," Cloudpelt said, "That explains why she's been so unfocused in training these last few moons. I suppose we have something to explain, too. RiverClan attacked ThunderClan and Dapplepaw was hurt very badly. She's resting in the medicine den now, and our medicine cat, Oakpelt, is treating her. He's a good, experienced medicine cat, and though he isn't always nice, he knows what he's doing. However, Dapplepaw had the worst of the battle in all of ThunderClan, and no cat knows for sure if she'll survive or not."

Storm flicked an ear, his head bowed in shame. "Tell her that Storm wishes her well." He began to walk off, but Silverfeather called out to him.

"Wait, Storm!" Silverfeather stood now, and Storm looked back, perking his ears. He'd only walked about a tail-length. "You know, if you join ThunderClan, you can be there for Dapplepaw. You wouldn't have to give us a message and make us have to look weird because we're whispering messages to Dapplepaw. Besides, ThunderClan is short on warriors and bountiful with kits. You look about warrior age, so if you were to join, you wouldn't have to train long before Lionstar makes you a warrior, probably." Silverfeather stared into Storm's eyes. "What do you say? Will you come with us and be given the chance to join?"

Storm blinked and looked away. "I'm afraid not. I don't like the idea of living with others." With that, the tom stalked off, not listening to anything else the two ThunderClan warriors had to say.


	6. Chapter 5: Too Late to Apologize?

It was late. The sky was pure black, and hardly any stars gave their light to the land below. The moon was nothing more than a sliver of silver in the dark sky, and fluffy, gray clouds just made everything darker.  
Storm twisted and turned. He was unable to sleep with the knowledge that Dapplepaw may be dying. Did Cloudpelt or Silverfeather tell Dapplepaw the message Storm had sent them off with earlier that day? Where did Dapplepaw get hurt? Could this 'Oakpelt' really do his duty as 'medicine cat' well enough to save Dapplepaw's life? The questions went on and on, and it wasn't long before Storm padded out of the entrance to his cave. His fur was ruffled and knotted. He looked mangy. Storm sighed, looking up at the night sky, wishing that he could see the stars. He often heard ThunderClan cats talk about the stars and how they guided the Clans. Could the stars guide Storm? He didn't know, but he _did_ know that they couldn't guide him if they weren't visible. Letting out a low hiss, Storm gave up. He padded farther away from his cave, then turned and walked toward ThunderClan's territory, a determined, stubborn look set in his deep green eyes. _I'm going to find ThunderClan's camp and see Dapplepaw for myself._ He looked up. The clouds had parted just enough for Storm to see that it was about moonhigh. Storm flicked his tail with relief. Moonhigh gave him _plenty_ of time to search for the camp, sneak in, and talk to Dapplepaw.

Storm glanced around as he stepped up to the border line. He'd only been to Sunningrocks before, which, yes, meant he had lied when he told Cloudpelt and Silverfeather that he had never been in their territory, but that wasn't the point of that whole conversation. Storm would've said anything to get them to explain what had happened to Dapplepaw. Storm took his next few steps low to the ground with his ears perked. He may need to run at any point in time, and he had to be prepared.

Storm neared the camp. He could scent many different scents, and yet, they were much alike. Different, yet alike. Was that what each Clan was like? Every cat in a Clan was a different cat, and yet, together, they were all one Clan.  
Storm was snapped out of his thoughts by the closeness of one cat's scent. He could make the shape out in the near distance. It was a huge cat, one that Storm wouldn't want to mess with, and he himself was very big, especially for his age. The tom was standing right outside the camp entrance. That was obvious. Storm almost got caught, probably, because the large cat was very close...

How was Storm supposed to get in with that beast of a cat sitting right by the camp entrance? Storm backed up several paces, hiding behind a bush, and looked around. There were a few trees that looked like they had loose branches, but Storm despised climbing. He wouldn't do it. Not even for Dapplepaw.

And he kind of did. Storm finally decided that he would make a lot of noise to distract the huge tom. Storm bounded a little ways away and reached up to a tree with some low branches. He shook the branches to the point where they fell. Storm paused for a moment, running toward the camp when he heard the large tom lumbering toward the tree.

_I'm in!_ Storm thought, content with his success, as he made it in through the camp's tunnel entrance. He hugged the sides of the camp and padded into a den that smelled of strong leaves.

Storm stalked around the medicine den, almost purring when he saw Dapplepaw. He padded over to the she-cat, who was sleeping, and gently prodded her. She opened her eyes slightly and mumbled a bit before recognizing him, and whispered, "Storm! What are you doing here? My Clanmates will attack you if they see you here!"

"Don't worry about me!" Storm hissed. He rested his chin on Dapplepaw's head for a moment before mewing in an apologetic tone, "Look, I just wanted to visit you. I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for being so horrible to you before. Also, you'd better heal, because I don't know what I'll do if you die." Dapplepaw didn't respond for a few minutes, though her low purr said everything that Storm needed to hear. He purred back.

"You don't know how much that means to me, Storm. Please, Storm, come back when the sun's up and ask Lionstar to join ThunderClan."

"You know I can't." Storm replied. "I wouldn't like Clan life. I really wouldn't."

"You don't know that until you try!" Dapplepaw mewed.

"Dapplepaw, I didn't come here to argue with you. I came here to apologize."

It was silent for another few moments before Dapplepaw sighed, obviously giving in, "Fine. I'll visit you when I'm out of the medicine den."

Storm wasn't about to object, though he knew Dapplepaw would probably get in trouble. He got out of ThunderClan's territory as fast as he could, finally able to sleep when he got back to his own den.


	7. Chapter 6: Tricky Subjects

"Oh yeah? You may be tall, Dapplepaw, but you're not as tall as me!" Storm meowed. "You can't win!" He ran forward, heading for the river. Dapplepaw was at his tail and gaining on him.

"There's no way I'll lose!" She hissed playfully. She forced her legs to move faster, trying as hard as she could to beat Storm. It only took a few moments before she was a whisker length ahead of him, and she ran straight into the river. Dapplepaw squealed and instantly leaped out. The water was still cold, despite newleaf, and though the snow had all melted away, the temperatures were still a bit cold.

Storm skidded to a halt before he, too, landed in the river, and purred, padding over to Dapplepaw and fluffing his fur out by hers to warm her up. "You'd never make it in RiverClan, would you?" With Dapplepaw's help, Storm knew a lot more about the Clans than he ever would have living without contact. He still didn't understand a lot of it, and questioned many of their methods, but at least he knew more than before.

"True that! Do you like the water, Storm?" Dapplepaw meowed.

"Yeah, I love the water. I swim often, actually. It's climbing that I don't like."

"I see. Well, I guess we know who the faster runner is!" Dapplepaw said proudly, lifting her trembling chin into the air. She was clearly still very cold from the water and Storm playfully batted her cheek.

"You may be faster, but now you're colder and wetter!"

"You know, Storm, you're awesome." Dapplepaw said. She gazed into Storm's eyes and her fur bristled slightly in embarrassment. Storm shrugged and padded away, Dapplepaw following.

Dapplepaw had spent two moons in the medicine den, and the first thing she did once she got out was ask Cloudpelt if they could go hunting. Of course, that meant going to visit Storm. Cloudpelt agreed to go hunting and let Dapplepaw visit Storm. He and Silverfeather had promised to not tell Lionstar about Storm, and they had done well in keeping their promise.

"So, anyway," Dapplepaw said as the two cats made their way to Storm's den for lunch, "Black-kit, Dark-kit, and Frogkit are apprentices now: Blackpaw, Darkpaw, and Frogpaw. Leafgaze was made into Blackpaw's mentor, and her sister, who's definitely my rival, Redpelt, was made into Darkpaw's mentor! I'm still jealous because Leafgaze and Redpelt are four moons older than me, and if I were a warrior, I'd want Darkpaw to be my apprentice, because she's so cool! Oh, and Silverfeather has Frogpaw as an apprentice, and she says that Frogpaw's even more energetic than me! She told me that it's not easy to train him." Dapplepaw took a few moments to catch her breath before continuing, "And everyone's worried because Oakpelt's getting old and hasn't taken on an apprentice."

"Clan cats are always worried about _something_, aren't they?" Storm asked as he padded into his den and picked up a large bird that he'd caught earlier. He set it outside in the grass and crouched across from Dapplepaw, beginning to eat the bird.

"Well, not always, but there aren't often times of peace and happiness." Dapplepaw replied forlornly.

Storm shrugged, "And that's one of the reasons the life of a rogue is nice. There are hardly any worries."

"Yeah, but you don't have any cats to be with in hard times." Dapplepaw said.

Storm flicked an ear and quietly finished his meal. When he finished eating, he sat up and washed his pelt, and Dapplepaw followed suit. "You know, Storm, I'm going to be a warrior soon," She meowed proudly.

Storm looked at her, "Yeah? That's good."

"Yup. And I've been thinking that once I'm a warrior, I should choose a mate fast. I mean, there are a lot of toms in the Clan, but you never know when one might be taken by another she-cat, and besides, we're getting our number of warriors up pretty quickly, so more kits might be needed soon." Dapplepaw looked up at the bright blue sky, then flashed a glance at Storm, clearly wanting to see his reaction. After she had said it, Storm's claws had sunk into the ground. He couldn't believe it, but he hated the thought of Dapplepaw taking a mate who _wasn't_ him. "Too bad you refuse to join ThunderClan, Storm. I was thinking that maybe someday you and I could be mates, but I don't want to get in trouble for taking a rogue as a mate."

_Since when do you care about getting in trouble?_ The words almost came out, but somehow, Storm forced them to stay in his mind. He looked away defiantly, "Like I'd want you for a mate." The gray tabby mumbled.

"Mhm. Sure, Storm." Dapplepaw purred in amusement.

"Dapplepaw!" Cloudpelt yowled.

"I gotta go. See you tomorrow, Storm!" Dapplepaw mewed, quickly rubbing her muzzle along Storm's cheek before bounding off.

"Mates..." Storm murmured angrily as he padded into his den.

* * *

A/N: Just so you all know, I've got the story completely finished, and I'm just posting the chapters up here day-by-day. There will be no other PoV but Storm's, though in the sequel (yes, there's a sequel. Spoiler. x3), there are more PoVs than just his, and more on that will be explained when the time comes.


	8. Chapter 7: Lightning

As he leaned against one of the trees along the border, Storm's gray ears perked. He heard not one, but the sound of two cats running. Their paws thumped the newleaf floor of ThunderClan territory, and Storm's face twisted a bit in confusion. The two cats were running, but why? They weren't speaking. Was there something attacking ThunderClan that they were trying to lead into Storm's territory?

"Storm!" A familiar voice made Storm break into an instant purr. "Hey, Storm!" Dapplepaw purred as she skidded to a halt and greeted her friend.

"Hello there." The cat with Dapplepaw wasn't one that Storm knew, however. He was a large tom, almost as big as Storm, despite being Dapplepaw's age, and he had a brown tabby pelt with deep amber eyes.

"Hey, Dapplepaw!" Storm meowed, then looked at the cat he didn't know. He dipped his head and said, "Hello. My name is Storm, and you are?" He would've been rude like he usually was, but since this was probably one of Dapplepaw's Clanmates, he figured it was better to just be polite.

"Cedartail, and her name is Dapple_sky_, not Dapplepaw. Get it right." The large brown tabby sneered. He looked incredibly egotistical; honestly, Storm had never met a cat who acted so proud and full of himself.

Storm's tail tip flicked in annoyance. He didn't like this Cedartail already. "It's true, Storm. I'm a warrior now," Dapplesky mewed. She padded close to Cedartail, her flank touching his. Her calico tail twined with his, and Storm instantly knew what was up. "Cedartail's my mate!" Dapplesky purred.

"So, you've been meeting this cat since you first became an apprentice?" Cedartail asked, looking at Dapplesky before shooting a glare at Storm. "I don't see why."

"Alright, look," Storm growled, "If you think you're going to come into my territory, which, by the way, you _have_, and insult me, you're wrong, buddy." The gray tabby tom's tail was lashing at that point, and his claws sank into the ground.

"Oh, what? You think I want to take your little piece of land, little kit?" Cedartail started in again.

"Kit? I'm older and bigger than you are! Who do you think you are, anyway, Dirt-tail?" Storm spat.

"That's it!" Cedartail yowled, lunging at Storm. The two toms rolled in a fight. Storm slashed at Cedartail's face and nearly screeched as Cedartail's hind paws raked at his belly. Storm bit at Cedartail's throat until he heard Dapplesky begin to screech at them.

"Stop fighting, you two! Stop!" The calico begged.

Cedartail leaped off of Storm, his throat bleeding a bit, his face bleeding, and he even had a slight limp. As Storm sat up, he mumbled angrily to himself as he washed his belly, which was nearly streaming with his own blood, and then his flanks, which also had blood and scratches on them.

"Storm, that's it! I'm done coming here if you can't get along with my mate! I love him. Besides, you had your chance, Storm. If you'd joined ThunderClan, we would be mates." Dapplesky meowed. Her tone began angry, but softened into sadness as she went on.

"Why would you want this dumb rogue for a mate? Let's go, Dapplesky." Cedartail snarled, glaring at Dapplesky in irritation. He set his tail on her back and led her back into ThunderClan's territory.

_Well, that went nicely._ Storm thought bitterly. What had happened exactly? One moon, he and Dapplesky were almost mates. Two moons later, she's become a warrior and has a mate. Of course. The one cat he had ever had good interactions with outside his parents, and she had to leave him. That would be Storm's luck, or so he thought.

The tom looked up at the sky in time to see that dark gray clouds were covering up the pretty, pale shade of blue that the sky was, and blotting out the sun. He felt strong winds blow his fur back, and it wasn't long before rain was hitting Storm's pelt hard. His ears were flat against his head, and his eyes were narrowed in anger, "You know how I feel, don't you?" Storm shouted at the sky, "If this was night, I'd look to the stars, but I guess I wouldn't find anything!" The rogue's tail still lashed fiercely, and he began heading for his den.

As he was closing in on the cave, at the hill that the cave was in, actually, Storm saw a bright yellow flash in the sky, then a loud _boom_! Storm had witnessed heavy-duty storms like this before, so it was nothing new, but what _was_ new was that at the moment the lightning flashed, Storm saw the silhouettes of two small cats sitting side-by-side. A second flash of lightning came so close to Storm that he thought he'd been struck. And maybe he had.

* * *

A/N: So, will you all explode in impatience if you don't see the next chapter posted this very night? I was going to post up the next one tonight, too, but then I realized that it was _this_ chapter that I was posting, and now I guess I'll just have to wait for responses from reviewers...


	9. Chapter 8: Not My Place and List Update

Allegiance update time~

**ThunderClan**:

Leader:

Lionstar: Large, long-furred golden tabby tom with pale green eyes. 58 moons old.  
Kin: Brightsun (mother), Sungaze (father), Eagleflight (littermate/brother), Goldenpaw (daughter), Brownpaw (son), Aspenpaw (daughter)  
Mate: Leaftail  
Apprentice: Cedarpaw

Deputy:

Fishpelt: Average-sized white tom with a few brown tabby patches and blue eyes. 38 moons old.  
Kin: Troutblaze (father)  
Mate: Featherfur  
Apprentice: Haypaw

Medicine cat:

Oakpelt: Large brown tabby tom with pale amber eyes. 60 moons old.  
Kin: Unknown  
Mate:  
Apprentice:

Elders:

Brightsun: Small short-furred pale golden she-cat with green eyes. 78 moons old.  
Kin: Dewfern (mother, deceased, had last litter at 60 moons, died at 80), Swiftbreeze (younger sister by 20 moons), Lionstar (son), Eagleflight (son)  
Mate: Sungaze

Sungaze: Large golden tabby tom with pale yellow eyes. 73 moons old.  
Kin: Lionstar (son), Eagleflight (son)  
Mate: Brightsun

Troutblaze: Large gray tabby tom with green eyes. 76 moons old.  
Kin: Fishpelt (son)  
Mate: Tinystep (deceased)

Queens:

Featherfur: Small, long-furred pale gray she-cat with green eyes. 35 moons old.  
Kin: Skykit (daughter), Acornkit (daughter), Ashkit (son), Dustkit (son)  
Mate: Fishpelt

Warriors:

Swiftbreeze: Small, lithe she-cat with a gray-and-white pelt and pale blue eyes. 58 moons old.  
Kin: Dewfern (mother), Brightsun (sister), Lionstar (nephew)  
Mate:  
Apprentice:

Leaftail: Small brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. 56 moons old.  
Kin: Goldenpaw (daughter), Brownpaw (son), Aspenpaw (daughter)  
Apprentice:

Shadowpelt: Average-size, lithe she-cat with a pure black pelt and amber eyes. 48 moons old.  
Kin: Spottednight (daughter), Black-kit (grandson), Dark-kit (granddaughter), Frogkit (grandson)  
Mate:  
Apprentice:

Tigerstripe: Large brown tabby tom with green eyes. 36 moons old.  
Kin:  
Mate:  
Apprentice: Goldenpaw

Brackenstep: Large brown tabby tom with green eyes. 30 moons old.  
Kin: Black-kit (son), Dark-kit (daughter), Frogkit (son)  
Mate: Spottednight  
Apprentice: Brownpaw

Silverfeather: Average-size gray tabby with amber eyes. 23 moons old.  
Kin:  
Mate:  
Apprentice: Frogpaw

Cloudpelt: Average-size long-furred pale gray tom (almost looks white) with pale blue eyes. 21 moons old.  
Kin:  
Mate:  
Apprentice: Aspenpaw

Leafgaze: Average-size pale brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. 18 moons old.  
Kin: Redpelt (sister)  
Apprentice: Blackpaw

Redpelt: Average-size dark ginger she-cat with green eyes. 18 moons old.  
Kin: Leafgaze (sister)  
Apprentice: Darkpaw

Cedartail: Large brown tabby tom with deep amber eyes. 14 moons old.  
Kin: Haypaw (brother)  
Apprentice:

Hayleap: Large dark golden tabby tom with amber eyes. 14 moons old.  
Kin: Cedarpaw (brother)  
Apprentice:

Dapplesky: Average-size, though tall, calico she-cat with bright green eyes. 14 moons old.  
Kin: Fernpaw (sister), Mosspaw (sister)  
Apprentice:

Fernstep: Small tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes. 14 moons old.  
Kin: Dapplepaw (sister), Mosspaw (sister)  
Apprentice:

Mosswhisker: Small tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes. 14 moons old.  
Kin: Dapplepaw (sister), Fernpaw (sister)  
Apprentice:

Apprentices:

Goldenpaw: Small pale golden tabby she-cat with pale yellow eyes. 8 moons old.  
Kin: Leaftail (mother), Lionstar (father), Brownpaw (brother), Aspenpaw (sister)  
Mentor: Tigerstripe

Brownpaw: Large brown tabby tom with green eyes. 8 moons old.  
Kin: Leaftail (mother), Lionstar (father), Goldenpaw (sister), Aspenpaw (sister)  
Mentor: Brackenstep

Aspenpaw: Average-size tabby she-cat with yellow eyes. 8 moons old.  
Kin: Leaftail (mother), Lionstar (father), Goldenpaw (sister), Brownpaw (brother)  
Mentor: Cloudpelt

Blackpaw: Large black-furred tom with amber eyes. 7 moons old.  
Kin: Spottednight (mother), Brackenstep (father), Darkpaw (sister), Frogpaw (brother)  
Mentor: Leafgaze

Darkpaw: Average-size black-furred she-cat with green eyes. 7 moons old.  
Kin: Spottednight (mother), Brackenstep (father), Blackpaw (brother), Frogpaw (brother)

Frogpaw: Average-size brown tabby tom with green eyes. 7 moons old.  
Kin: Spottednight (mother), Brackenstep (father), Blackpaw (brother), Darkpaw (sister)

Kits:

Skykit: Small, long-furred pale gray she-cat with green eyes. 1 moon old.  
Kin: Featherfur (mother), Fishpelt (father), Acornkit (sister), Dustkit (brother), Ashkit (brother)

Acornkit: Average-size white she-cat with brown tabby patches and green eyes. 1 moon old.  
Kin: Featherfur (mother), Fishpelt (father), Skykit (sister), Dustkit (brother), Ashkit (brother)

Dustkit: Large gray tom with green eyes. 1 moon old.  
Kin: Featherfur (mother), Fishpelt (father), Skykit (sister), Acornkit (sister), Ashkit (brother)

Ashkit: Average-size gray tom with green eyes. 1 moon old.  
Kin: Featherfur (mother), Fishpelt (father), Skykit (sister), Acornkit (sister), Dustkit (brother)

**Rogues**:

Storm: Large pale gray tabby tom with green eyes. 16 moons old.

* * *

"Storm! Storm!" A voice called to him. Storm opened his eyes, finding himself in a strange land. This, by far, was definitely _not_ his territory, but it didn't look to be ThunderClan's, either. He was standing in a field, surrounded by trees. The field was really a giant circle by the looks of it. The grass was long and bright green in color. The temperature was much warmer than the average newleaf temperature. Storm felt that the whole place gave more of a greenleaf vibe than a newleaf vibe.

"Storm. At last, we get to meet." A short-furred tortoiseshell she-cat padded around Storm, her pelt brushing his. Her tail ran along his spine, and he growled quietly, but audibly. The she-cat had bright green eyes, much like Dapplesky's, and she had white fur from the neck all the way down to her belly.

"Who're you and how do you know my name?" Storm stood and took a few paces back, putting more space between himself and the she-cat, feeling uncomfortable being close to her.

"I suppose it would be good of me to introduce myself, hm? My name is Cloverleaf. I was a warrior of ThunderClan, up until several moons ago. I died very soon after my kits were born. Too soon, really." She paused for a moment, then said, "Maybe you know my kits?" Cloverleaf gave Storm a curious, yet knowing, glance.

"I can't say whether I know them or not until you tell me their names." Storm's deep green eyes narrowed in irritation, and his tail gave a single lash. Cloverleaf growled and took a few paces toward him again, biting his tail. When the tom spat in frustration and lifted a paw, claws quickly unsheathing, she took a few paces back, deciding to continue what she had to say.

"Fernstep, Mosswhisker," Cloverleaf paused for a moment as she took another few pawsteps back, "And the most important one, the oldest of my kits, Dapplesky." Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she waited for Storm's response. Cloverleaf sat down, a condescending glare in her green eyes.

Storm relaxed slightly at the mention of Dapplesky's name. His irritation ebbed away, being replaced by confusion and curiosity. "Can you tell me where I am?" He set his right forepaw back on the ground and sheathed his claws.

"Why, you're in StarClan. We're the Clan that ThunderClan, RiverClan, WindClan, and ShadowClan look up to. We're their ancestors. All Clan cats come here when they die." Cloverleaf answered.

"So does that mean I'm dead?" Storm asked dryly, "Because if I am, well, that's just great. See, thing is, I'm not a Clan cat, so can you place me where _my_ ancestors are?"

"Look, little kit," Cloverleaf snarled, getting in Storm's face, glaring into his eyes, "You're not dead. You can't die. You're important, got it? We don't know how, but you are. We sent you a sign in the first strike of lightning that we don't even know the meaning to. It was what we got, and we knew to send it to you."

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

"There's a she-cat in RiverClan whose destiny is great. Her name is Rainwater. You must become Rainwater's mate. Never mind Dapplesky. Dapplesky _has_ a mate. Pack up and move closer to RiverClan." Cloverleaf ordered. "Off you go now, little kit." She opened her mouth and pushed forward. Storm was scared she was about to bite him, but when she quickly snapped just her jaws, as his eyes closed to protect themselves, he felt a jolt.

Storm reopened his eyes slowly to find that he was back in his territory. Rain was still falling, but it was much lighter, and no more lightning or thunder was seen or heard, respectively. The tom had a major headache, and Storm was growling and spitting in fury as he stumbled the rest of the way to his den. What did it all mean? Why should he give up on Dapplesky? Cedartail wasn't the kind of tom that Storm would like to see _any_ cat with, except maybe that foxheart named Cloverleaf. How could Dapplesky have grown up so bubbly and happy when her mother was so cold and heartless?

* * *

A/N: It's a slow night here on , from what I've seen. Ah, well. I posted a second chapter for today, so... yeah. x3


	10. Chapter 9: Packing up and Moving on

After about a moon of thinking hard on everything he'd been told by Cloverleaf, Storm decided that he was going to go to live by RiverClan and do as Cloverleaf said, however much he didn't want to. Oh, how he wanted to rebel, as usual.

The morning that Storm was officially going to leave, he went hunting in order to get something in his belly before the short trip. The sun had risen not long ago, and there was a light amount of dew on the grass. Greenleaf was definitely here. As he stalked through the grass, his belly barely touching the ground, Storm hissed in annoyance as a loud voice calling his name alerted the mouse he was about to leap on. The mouse scuttled off quickly, and Storm was too slow to catch it.

"Storm! Stooorrmm!" The voice called. Again and again and again. Storm didn't believe that the cat would quit yowling their head off at any point in time, so, with a sigh, the large tom headed for the voice. When he reached the voice, Storm wasn't surprised to see Dapplesky. "Storm," She meowed happily as he approached, padding up to him and touching her nose to his. "Storm, I've missed you so much! I'm really sorry about before." Her bright green eyes were filled with guilt, and Storm knew it was genuine.

"It's alright. I guess I'm sorry, too." Storm had a hard time apologizing, because apologizing wasn't really his thing, if you hadn't noticed, but he managed, through grinding teeth. He meant it, even if he had a hard time saying it.

"Storm, I think you were right about Cedartail. He's not very nice, and I didn't see that. I thought he was a great cat, all strong and proud, and..." Dapplesky trailed off. _And you're an idiot. I know._ Storm thought. "Look, just, I'm sorry, okay?" Dapplesky mewed again. "No hard feelings, right?" She gave a half-hearted chuckle that seemed more nervous than anything.

"Are you okay? Maybe you should go to your healing cat or whatever it's called." Storm said. Dapplesky was acting weirder than she ever had before, and she was a pretty weird she-cat.

Dapplesky's tail gave a single lash, "It's called a _medicine_ cat and I don't need to go because I'm perfectly fine!" She snapped.

"Okay then, stubborn." Storm nudged her playfully, purring.

"You're always playful at the wrong time, you know that? You don't know when to be serious and when to be playful, do you?" Dapplesky hissed.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry." Storm meowed, rolling his eyes and discontinuing his purr.

"So this is where you've been," A deep voice came from ThunderClan territory, and with it came a shadowy figure, amber eyes glinting in the darkness of the forest. It was a cloudy day, and without the sunlight, the ThunderClan forest gave off an eerie look, and the situation ruffled Storm's pelt, his fur rising along his back. "My dear Dapplesky," Cedartail continued as he padded out of ThunderClan's territory, "Visiting the rugged rogue Storm. Why would you ever want to speak with him when you have me?" His tail ran along Dapplesky's back and she turned around and stood closer to Storm, her head nuzzling his flank.

"Storm," She whispered, "Help." The calico she-cat was trembling in fear.

Cedartail broke into a purr of amusement, "Alright, I had to do that for effects. That was just cool, wasn't it?" His voice was quite a bit higher and more suited to his age, like it had been when he and Storm fought. "Seriously, though, Dapplesky, let's get back to camp. I refuse to be caught out here with _him_ around." When Dapplesky only glared at Cedartail, he let out a real growl and his gaze flicked to Storm, "I get it. You want to be with him, huh? Well I'll fight to the death for you, Dapplesky!" He pounced on Storm, and the two once again rolled in a fight, but this time, it was much more serious.

Storm lashed fiercely. Unlike Cedartail, he had no Clan training, only his parents' teachings, which were really enough. However, Cedartail still had an advantage, being a Clan cat, and though he was smaller, maybe he was a bit stronger.  
Storm felt overwhelmed as blood stained his pelt. What he didn't know was that not all of it was his, and in the heart of battle, the fierce rush of adrenaline, that would've been a nice thing to know.

Cedartail and Storm leaped apart for a few minutes, both trying their best to catch their breaths. "Trying to play hero, are you? Just remember that she took _me_ as her mate! All because you were selfish." Cedartail spat. "You will no longer protect her. Know why? Because you'll be _dead_!"

Storm flinched. It was his selfishness that had caused all of this. Cedartail clearly wasn't about to give up, but it's not like Storm cared, anyway. He'd taken lives before, and he'd do again. Cedartail was useless, and Storm was glad he hadn't joined ThunderClan, considering that meant having to deal with _this_ on a daily basis. However, the insult wasn't taken lightly, and Storm felt a pang of guilt as he glanced over at the terror-stricken form of Dapplesky. Storm's gaze flicked back to Cedartail, and he growled his response, "I will _always_ protect her."

Cedartail yowled in annoyance and bolted forward, crashing into Storm. He opened his mouth, and for a moment, that was all Storm saw. A large hole with long, yellowed points and a pink tongue. Storm's automatic reflex was to look away, which exposed his neck.

Dumb reflex.

As Cedartail's teeth sank into Storm's neck, he let out a pain-filled, ear-bleed-worthy screech. Cedartail leaped off of him immediately, shaking his head quickly. The large brown tabby tom opened his mouth, as if he was going to say something, then widened his ears in fear, his eyes dilating. "He can't speak because he's gone deaf and doesn't know if he's actually speaking or not. He's not used to being deaf and being unable to hear himself speak." Storm thought out loud, and Dapplesky shuddered and threw up. Cedartail, clearly furious, charged at Storm again, and the battle continued. Storm wondered for a moment whether or not Cedartail's deafness was temporary, but he stopped wondering once he realized he didn't care.

Storm used Cedartail's inability to hear to his advantage. The gray tabby slid under Cedartail, shoving him up as he went. Cedartail flopped hard on the ground nearby, and Storm bolted into a nearby patch of long grass. When Cedartail had regained himself, he was looking around, confused as to where Storm was. Storm used this to sneak up behind Cedartail, knowing he couldn't be heard, and leaped on the younger tom's back, digging his teeth deep into Cedartail's throat. Cedartail struggled and struggled, but no matter how much he moved, Storm was bigger and he couldn't shake him off. It was a few moments before Cedartail's body became limp and his pelt quickly grew cold.

"He's dead." Storm meowed. It was obvious, but Dapplesky was likely in too much shock to fully grasp that it had even happened. The gray tabby padded over to her and rubbed his flank against hers. "It's alright, Dapplesky."

"I was stupid to take him as a mate. He wasn't nice." Dapplesky muttered.

"It's okay." Storm reassured her again. "What does your Clan do with the bodies of the dead?"

"W-we lay them in the center of the camp and wish him good luck in StarClan. Those closest to them usually stay by them for a while, sometimes overnight. After that, the elders bury them." Dapplesky explained slowly, stuttering often. Her voice and body were shaking, and she sat down, unable to stand for any longer.

Storm listened and when Dapplesky was finished, said, "Alright. I'll bring his body to your camp." Storm picked up Cedartail's heavy body and tried his best to make sure it didn't drag on the ground. When he reached the border and noticed that Dapplesky hadn't followed, he called out to her, "Come on, Dapplesky. Follow me to your camp." She numbly stood and stumbled after him, padding along his left flank the whole way.

* * *

A/N: Like? No like? Well, either way, here's the daily update. :D It contains my favorite quote throughout the whole story, too. Can you guess what it is?


	11. Chapter 10: Confessions

"You killed one of my strongest, yet youngest, warriors, hm?" Lionstar's voice was deep and fiercely angry. He was a _huge_ tom with a long golden tabby pelt, that made him look even bigger, and his eyes were green. They were narrowed in pure rage, and the leader's tail was lashing at a rapid pace.

Storm felt the glares of ThunderClan's cats. They were in a circle around him, around the giant rock that seemed to hold two purposes: Lionstar standing and announcing things, and Lionstar's den. He knew that what he had done was wrong, but what else was he going to do? Get killed? Never. Cedartail attacked him, and both toms would never have willingly given Dapplesky up. It was _her_ fault if one really thought hard about it. If she'd chosen Storm as her mate to begin with, none of this ever would've happened. But no, she just went on teasing him. Storm believed that if she'd asked him to be her mate, maybe he would've gone to ThunderClan with her, but that probably wasn't true. No, it took Cedartail for Storm to realize he loved her. Dapplesky's ignorance and Storm's stubbornness had gotten several cats into a mess. Dapplesky was the one to take Cedartail as a mate, and _she_ was the one who ended up bringing him to Storm's territory, even if she didn't know he was following her. Storm was the one who, no matter what, outright refused to join ThunderClan and denied his feelings for Dapplesky. Cedartail was the idiot who didn't feel like he could trust his own mate, which, in this case, he really couldn't.

Dapplesky's mate decision didn't stop Storm from feeling the love he did for Dapplesky, though, quite obviously. Sure, she was ignorant and impulsive, but Storm had his flaws, too, and if she loved him despite those flaws, then he'd love her despite her flaws. This was a mess that they both created and a mess that they would both fix. He glanced over at her, but she was looking down at Cedartail's body, her eyes wide and glazed with no emotion.

Lionstar hissed and leaped down from the highrock, padding into his den with a few final words, "Fishpelt, you can take care of this."

Fishpelt sighed and flicked an ear, "So you said he attacked you?" He meowed, glancing at Storm. Fishpelt was mostly white with a few brown tabby patches. His blue eyes were weary, and he seemed stressed and overall tired. The way Lionstar dumped the situation into Fishpelt's paws made Storm believe that Lionstar had a temper and didn't like dealing with things like this, so instead, he pawned them off onto his deputy. However, as this was the first time Storm had ever met Lionstar, maybe he was wrong.

"That's right." Storm replied honestly. His voice was calm. He heard kits mewling to their mothers and their mothers shushing them.

"Were you on our territory, or...?" Fishpelt asked, quieting down in order for Storm to answer.

"I wasn't. In fact, Cedartail was on _my_ territory." Storm replied.

Fishpelt's ears lay back against his head. He was considering it. He didn't seem to believe Storm, but he didn't say anything about it. He was about to, but Dapplesky said something instead. "He didn't love me." Dapplesky meowed numbly. "Cedartail didn't love me."

Gasps and muttering were heard among the Clan. A golden tabby tom who was about as big as Cedartail approached Dapplesky, "My brother _always_ loved you. You were just too dumb to see it. He was a great cat, and it's your fault he's dead." With a louder voice, he added, "That's right! My brother told me this little cheater had always been visiting this rogue during her apprenticeship!" Even more gasps, and the muttering was getting louder. "My guess is that she went and visited him again, and Cedartail attacked him. I know my brother, and it does make sense that he'd attack, but he did it only to _protect_ _the one he loved_."

Storm snarled, "I love Dapplesky more than Cedartail _ever_ could have!" He challenged Hayleap with a glare, then looked around at the other cats in the Clan. "I've already proven that."

"By killing a ThunderClan cat." Lionstar added, padding back out of his den. "If you truly loved Dapplesky, you'd not have killed her Clanmate.. Her _mate_. I want you out of ThunderClan's territory forever. You are not welcome here."

Storm glanced around once again. He could see that, surprisingly, some of the cats appeared to look like they were more on his side than Lionstar's. Storm nodded to Lionstar and padded out of the Clan's camp and territory. As he left, he heard Fishpelt quietly say, "Are you sure it was really the right choice to kick him out? If we accepted him in, he would've replaced Cedartail and-" but Lionstar cut him off.

"There's no such thing as replacing a cat, Fishpelt. Cedartail was my apprentice, and I was as close to him as I am Leaftail and my own kits. He was really like a son to me. Besides, who's to say that Storm wouldn't kill another ThunderClan cat?" Storm felt more guilt, but he ignored it as he left.

He still couldn't tell if it was the right decision or the wrong decision.

* * *

A/N: Well, if you hadn't guessed, then my favorite quote throughout the whole story (which, as I said, was in chapter 9) is "I will _always_ protect her", which was said by Storm.

Hehe, I can't wait till you all see how this whole thing pans out. x3


	12. Chapter 11: Set in Stone

"That _idiot_!" A tortoiseshell she-cat screeched in rage. "He just killed Cedartail! I told him to go to RiverClan so he could meet sweet Rainwater! _She_ has a destiny! _Storm_ has a destiny! He's to be with her, because when they're together, the Clans will be saved."

"I don't understand how." A ginger-and-white tabby tom mewed. "How would them being together save the Clans?"

"Flamestar," Cloverleaf glared at the tom, "Flamestar, Flamestar, _Flamestar_. You always were slow to catch on. When cats have mates, what do they generally do?"

"Share tongues, share prey, share kind words, protect each other.." Flamestar's voice trailed off as he tried to think of more.

"Yes, but what _important_ things do they do?" After waiting for him to respond, only to receive silence, Cloverleaf spat and let out a hiss, "_They have kits, you big mouse-brain!_" She sighed, "It's a wonder I ever had kits with you and that you were leader of ThunderClan at one time."

"They have kits. Okay. Are those kits supposed to be of some sort of great importance?" Flamestar asked.

"_Now_ you're finally beginning to think! That's right. Those kits will stop ... other kits... from being born. Kits that Rainwater would have with a different tom, and you know the prophecy. _'When rain and clouds combine, an unstoppable storm is formed.'_ We have to stop that storm from happening, and in order to do that, Rainwater and Storm must become mates."

_But could that really mean destruction of the Clans, or something else?_

Flamestar nodded. A blue-gray tom padded up, joining in the conversation. "Cloverleaf's right. This rogue needs to become mates with Rainwater, or all will be lost for the Clans."

"At least you understand, Ripplestar" Cloverleaf meowed in relief. "I still don't think he does." She let out a small purr, rubbing her muzzle along her mate's flank. "Oh, Flamestar. What will we do with you?" She asked, listening to Flamestar's returned purr.

"So, tell me," Oakpelt meowed, padding up to the group of cats, "Was Lionstar wrong and Fishpelt right?"

"I can hardly believe a RiverClan-born cat to be right about ThunderClan affairs," Another tom meowed as he stalked over.

"Really, Volestrike, there's no need to insult the RiverClanner." Cloverleaf meowed, flicking her ear toward Ripplestar. "After all, Troutblaze did the right thing when he brought Fishpelt to ThunderClan as a kitten."

Ripplestar let out a growl, "RiverClan would've been better off than ThunderClan with Troutblaze and Fishpelt!"

"Your Clanmates at the time didn't seem to believe so. Otherwise, they wouldn't have practically kicked Troutblaze out for mating with a loner." Cloverleaf retaliated.

"It doesn't matter!" Oakpelt spat. "This isn't about Troutblaze and Fishpelt! This is about the dirty rogue hanging around ThunderClan territory! This is about your daughter!" His amber gaze flicked from Cloverleaf to Flamestar. "I didn't fall asleep early in order to come here just to listen to an argument about an elderly cat and his deputy son! I came here to ask about whether or not I should influence my Clanmates in allowing Storm to join."

"No. Storm joins RiverClan and becomes mates with Rainwater. That is his destiny. The end." Cloverleaf replied sharply.

Oakpelt grudgingly dipped his head before slowly fading back into the real world.

"It really is set in the stars, then," Ripplestar meowed. "When do you plan on telling Storm?"

"The moment the rest of you leave. He's already asleep. Off you go." Cloverleaf waved her tail a single time, and Ripplestar, Flamestar, and Volestrike all left the clearing. Cloverleaf watched as Storm slowly came into view, seeming confused for a few moments before he realized where he was again. "Storm, you've done a bad thing." She purred, trying to be sweet.

"Cut the act." Storm instantly replied. "Tell me what I did wrong, besides killing a cat." He invited, his green eyes narrowing.

"Alright." Cloverleaf sat down and narrowed her own eyes. "You're supposed to be in RiverClan right now, trying to get Rainwater to be your mate."

"Too bad. I've decided on who I want my mate to be."

"Yes, you have. _Rainwater_."

"Try again." Storm said.

"Rainwater." Cloverleaf repeated.

"Dapplesky." Storm meowed with a slow shake of his head.

"Rainwater." Cloverleaf was beginning to get an irritated edge to her voice.

"Dapplesky." Storm retaliated. He was calm, yet his stubbornness was really showing through.

"Look, you have a destiny," Cloverleaf snapped, "And you're supposed to be with Rainwater. Fulfill your destiny or feel the wraith of StarClan!"

Storm flicked a nonchalant ear. "If you're supposed to represent StarClan's wraith, then I really don't think I have anything to fear." He licked a paw.

His non-caring attitude pushed Cloverleaf over the limit, and she padded up to him and swatted him on the face with her claws unsheathed, "Look here, rogue, if you don't take Rainwater as your mate, then the Clans will be destroyed. That includes Dapplesky."

"Not my problem." Storm said, beginning to walk away. He didn't bother fighting back, simply because he didn't feel like it, despite the blood welling up on his face. _Besides, if everything goes according to plan, there will be no worrying about Dapplesky_. "Is this," He meowed, "What I get for starting to believe that the stars could guide me? StarClan... I can't believe that I believe in this. If I'm here, I believe in it, don't I?"

"You're right about that. You're meant to be a Clan cat. A _River_Clan cat. I don't know what happened where, but you were supposed to be born a RiverClan cat. However, you weren't, but that doesn't mean you cannot complete your destiny. Become mates with Rainwater, or all you know will be destroyed, Storm. I mean it." After listening to Cloverleaf, Storm flicked his tail tip and left, returning to his dreamless sleep.


	13. Chapter 12: Can't Stop Him

It had been two moons since Cedartail's death. Two moons of silence. Two moons of being warm, then getting colder and colder as leaf-fall got closer.

Storm's pelt was fluffed up against the vicious, crisp, dry wind that blew mercilessly across the fields, causing a rustle to sound through the long, yellowing grass. He stared out at the ThunderClan border. Cloverleaf said he belonged to a Clan, but it wasn't ThunderClan. No, it _had_ to be RiverClan. RiverClan was useless. Storm didn't want to be forced to be mates with a she-cat he didn't even know. He wanted to be mates with Dapplesky, and he wondered if she knew that he was 'destined' to be with this Rainwater cat.

"Don't think I don't see you hanging around." Dapplesky meowed, approaching the border. She had a mischievous glint in her green gaze, and she purred as she padded over the border and greeted Storm with a nuzzle. "Storm, I uhh.. Well, Oakpelt told me something about you. He told me to stay away from you because you're mates with a RiverClan cat and are planning on joining RiverClan. Is that true?" The calico's eyes went from mischievous to miserable in only a moment, and she took a step back from Storm.

Storm bared his teeth in annoyance, "No! It's not true, Dapplesky. Don't believe it. It's my 'destiny' to be mates with a RiverClan cat, but I've never talked to a single RiverClan cat, and I love _you_." He didn't mean to blurt it out, but it came, and when it did, Dapplesky flinched in surprise before instantly nuzzling him again, purring louder than Storm had ever heard a cat purr. "I want you to be my mate, Dapplesky." Storm added quietly.

"Of course I'll be your mate, Storm. I love you." She purred in reply. "But my Clan... they don't want you around."

_Well, that's fine, because I don't want to be around them._ Storm thought, biting his tongue. He couldn't say that. Not in front of any ThunderClanner. "Then we can be mates in secret." Storm declared. "It doesn't matter what your Clanmates think if you truly love me, right?"

Dapplesky hesitated for a moment, then she steadily meowed, "Right. It doesn't matter what they think. I've really got to leave, though-"

"Oh no you don't!" A brown tabby's paw stepped out of the border. "Not before I tell my dad, anyway." He had a sly, 'in your face' look about him, and his tail lashed wildly.

"Don't, Brownpaw! Keep your mouth shut! If you tell Lionstar, I'll-" Dapplesky was too late, because about as soon as she started talking, Brownpaw took off. She snarled and bounded after him, leaving Storm to play catch-up.

As he raced through the forest, following his mate's scent trail, Storm felt a stab of fear. Adrenaline made him push his legs to move faster, and he ran at top speed, crashing into the camp's entrance tunnel, where he heard angry yowls beyond, "Lionstar, Dapplesky, to my den _now_!" Storm's ears fell back against his head and, despite his mind telling him not to, he burst through the tunnel and continued following Dapplesky's scent into a den where there was a strong scent of a variety of leaves. Cats stared wildly, wondering what was going on, and a few yowled warnings, only to listen to their Clanmates hushing them.

They recognized Storm, and they weren't happy.

Storm breathed heavily as he padded into the den. Lionstar was sitting next to an amber-eyed brown tabby that Storm didn't recognize, and they were facing the entrance. Dapplesky sat in front of them, her head bowed in defeat. Storm forced himself to take the few paces needed to sit next to Dapplesky and proceeded to sit next to her, his pelt brushing hers, his eyes blazing with anger at Lionstar and the unfamiliar tom. "Storm," The brown tabby said, "So nice of you to join us. I am Oakpelt, ThunderClan's medicine cat."

"So you're back causing more trouble." Lionstar growled.

Storm didn't reply.

"Storm, you know your destiny. Cloverleaf has told it to you. You must go to RiverClan and-" Oakpelt started again, but was discontinued from speaking because of Storm.

"I know! I've heard it countless times already! I don't care, though. Dapplesky's my mate, and I wouldn't give her up for _any _cat." Storm hissed curtly. Oakpelt and Lionstar exchanged a glance and put their heads close together, whispering to each other.

"There is no compromise here, Storm." Lionstar finally said. "Your destiny cannot be changed. You are to be Rainwater's mate, not Dapplesky's. Leave and stop disturbing ThunderClan life."

"Never." Storm spat.

"Then I'll kill you." Lionstar growled, preparing to lunge at Storm.

"You can't kill him, Lionstar!" Oakpelt stopped him, waving his tail in front of the leader's face. "He has an important destiny. He must stay alive."

"Then how can we get him to be Rainwater's mate?"

"We'll figure out a way. For now," Oakpelt meowed, "Leave him be. Get some warriors to escort him back to his own territory."

"I can escort myself," Storm meowed.

"How do we know you won't steal prey?" Lionstar asked.

"That's a dumb question. I can walk into your territory and steal prey whenever I want, but I don't, do I? I eat prey caught in my territory alone. It's only fair." Storm said before padding out of the den, heading for his own territory once again.


	14. Chapter 13: Arrival

A/N: Before the actual chapter begins, I would like to apologize for not updating in the past few days. I had no access to an actual computer, and I cannot copy and paste with a mobile device. I literally find it impossible. e.e Anyway, I've got my own laptop back (although it's not repaired, it's usable, and that's a story for another day), so updates will be daily once again!

* * *

Another two moons had passed. (A/N: Boy do I like my time-skipping, huh?) Dapplesky and Storm met every day, though it was quite common for cats from ThunderClan to end up calling Dapplesky back anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours after she'd left ThunderClan territory.

Leaf-bare was beginning to set in. Storm could feel it in the way the wind was, the way the leaves littered the ground completely, leaving the trees bare. Storm and Dapplesky padded alongside each other, their pawsteps completely in sync. They moved as one through the fields.

"Today I have something important to tell you," Dapplesky had said when they met at the border that day. "I'll tell you in your den." With that, her and Storm set off to the large tom's den.

When the two felines got to Storm's den, they settled down, facing each other, their paws tucked neatly under their chests and their tails settled around their sides. They looked like twins, well, not really, but nevertheless. "Alright," She mewed. Her eyes were giving off a glow of excitement. Whatever Dapplesky had to say, she was very eager to say it, "I've been feeling pains in my belly, and when I went to Oakpelt, he told me that I'm expecting kits. I'll probably be giving birth next moon."

Storm stood up instantly in surprise, his pelt bushing up. He shouldn't have been surprised, really, but he was. "That's great, Dapplesky," The rogue purred as he nuzzled his mate.

* * *

Oakpelt slid out of the nursery, his eyes weary. "They're definitely Storm's. The only gray tabby tom able to mate in the Clan is Cloudpelt, and he and Dapplesky certainly aren't mates." He meowed to Lionstar, who was pacing back and forth in front of the nursery entrance, his tail lashing in anger.

Storm padded up to the entrance of ThunderClan's camp. He'd just gotten word from Silverfeather and Cloudpelt that Dapplesky was delivering her kits. He glanced over at the guard, who he didn't know. She looked only a few moons older than him, and she was lithe with a black pelt and green eyes. The she-cat only nodded to him, not saying any words or attempting to keep Storm out of the camp, so he walked in through the tunnel. Lionstar's head turned toward the entrance when he heard it rustle, and his pale green eyes narrowed in anger, just as they had several moons ago. "Get out of here, Storm," He demanded.

Storm padded forward toward the den that Lionstar was in front of, assuming it was the nursery.

Lionstar's fluffy pelt bristled in rage as Storm ignored his demand. Storm figured that Lionstar couldn't be a whole lot bigger than him, even though his pelt made him seem like a giant, rather than a normal cat. He stood defensively in front of the nursery's entrance, blocking Storm from entering, and Oakpelt sat beside him. Lionstar spoke again, "You have no right to see those kits, Storm. You're a rogue. If you wanted to see them, then you should've asked to join ThunderClan long before they were in Dapplesky's belly. You should've joined before you caused the death of one of my warriors." He had a paw up, claws unsheathing, but Storm only stood in front of him, staring at him through calm, patient eyes. As Lionstar was about to swipe at Storm, Oakpelt, once again, stopped him from attacking.

"Lionstar, he had the decency to come see his kits. We must allow him that, in the very least." Oakpelt meowed calmly, his tail resting on Lionstar's back.

"There's nothing in the warrior code that says anything like that, Oakpelt." Lionstar snapped.

Oakpelt glared at him through narrowed green eyes, "The _moral_ code, Lionstar. You don't know how many stories I've heard from the other medicine cats of rogue, loner, and kittypet toms who never see their kits, never know their kits' names, never _care_ about their kits. Some do, however, and Storm is one of them, clearly. It's only fair that we allow him to see his kits." When Lionstar didn't budge, Oakpelt hissed, "I'm telling you this as your _medicine cat_, Lionstar. Obey." Lionstar snarled and grudgingly stepped aside, allowing Storm to enter the nursery.

Dapplesky glanced up at Storm, her paw stretched out in her mossy nest, kneading it happily. Four kittens lay at her belly, mewling and suckling. "You got here just in time. I just finished birthing them. Two she-kits and two toms." The calico she-cat purred. The one on the farthest left was likely the oldest, Storm decided, but she wasn't the biggest, though she did have long legs. She had a short-furred tortoiseshell pelt. There was a lot of ginger to her fur, Storm observed before letting his gaze move to the next one. The second kit was a tom, and he, like his sister, had long legs. He was a light gray tabby with short fur, just like his father. Storm purred loudly, looking at the third kit, who was another she-cat. She was another short-furred kitten, and she, like Dapplesky, was a tortoiseshell. The fourth kit was like Storm, too, only, oddly, he had a long pelt.

"A long-furred tom?" Storm asked curiously.

"My father had long fur." Dapplesky purred, "Oh," She mewed quickly after, "I never told you about my parents. Cloverleaf was my mother. She died soon after my and my littermates' birth. She was a tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes just like mine! My father was Flamestar. Lionstar, who was Lionstrike before he became leader, was his final deputy. He only died about a moon before I became an apprentice." Just then, two tortoiseshell she-cat padded into the nursery. "Those are my littermates," Dapplesky mewed. Storm glanced at the two warriors as Dapplesky continued, "Fernstep and Mosswhisker."

"So _you're_ the Storm we hear so much about!" Fernstep mewed, flicking Storm on the head with her tail-tip. "I'm glad you've come to see your kits."

"Have you named them yet?" Mosswhisker meowed.

"Not yet," Dapplesky answered, looking at Storm. He returned the gaze before looking at each of the kits.

"Can we name the oldest Amber?" Storm asked.

"Dapplesky!" Fernstep pawed at her sister, "You never told your mate about how Clan cats name their kits, did you?"

Dapplesky's neck fur rose in embarrassment, "Right. We name our kits with -kit at the end, and it's usually based on their appearance, or something in nature we feel is appropriate to name them, like Birdkit or Blossomkit. I think Amber_kit_ works for the oldest one, though, because she does have a lot of ginger." Storm blinked in understanding. He wasn't in much of a social mood, really, so Dapplesky's sisters being there really bothered him, but he didn't say anything regarding them. He waited for Dapplesky to continue, and she did, "I want to name the second one Graykit. He looks so much like you, Storm!" She purred. "Do you want to name the last two?"

Storm purred, "Really? Both of them?"

"Yeah, of course!"

"Alright." Storm glanced again at the calico she-cat and fluffy gray tabby tom beside her. "Dawnkit and Dusk-kit. Would those work?" When Dapplesky nodded, he meowed, "Great!" The tom then set his tail-tip on each of the kits' heads in turn, and mewed gently, "Welcome to the world, my daughters and sons." Amberkit let out a loud mewl, and Storm's whiskers twitched in amusement. It was as if she'd answered him.


	15. Chapter 14: All Her Fault

Leader:

Lionstar: Large, long-furred golden tabby tom with pale green eyes. 63 moons old.  
Kin: Brightsun (mother), Sungaze (father), Eagleflight (littermate/brother, deceased), Goldengaze (daughter), Brownpelt (son), Aspenleaf (daughter)  
Mate: Leaftail  
Apprentice:

Deputy:

Fishpelt: Average-sized white tom with a few brown tabby patches and blue eyes. 43 moons old.  
Kin: Troutblaze (father), Acornpaw (daughter), Ashpaw (son), Dustpaw (son)  
Mate: Featherfur  
Apprentice:

Medicine cat:

Oakpelt: Large brown tabby tom with pale amber eyes. 65 moons old.  
Kin:  
Mate:  
Apprentice:

Elders:

Brightsun: Small short-furred pale golden she-cat with green eyes. 83 moons old.  
Kin: Dewfern (mother, deceased, had last litter at 60 moons, died at 80), Swiftbreeze (younger sister by 20 moons), Lionstar (son), Eagleflight (son, deceased)  
Mate: Sungaze

Troutblaze: Large gray tabby tom with green eyes. 81 moons old.  
Kin: Fishpelt (son)  
Mate: Tinystep (deceased)

Sungaze: Large golden tabby tom with pale yellow eyes. 78 moons old.  
Kin: Lionstar (son), Eagleflight (son)  
Mate: Brightsun

Swiftbreeze: Small, lithe she-cat with a gray-and-white pelt and pale blue eyes. 63 moons old.  
Kin: Dewfern (mother), Brightsun (sister), Lionstar (nephew)  
Mate:  
Apprentice:

Leaftail: Small brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. 61 moons old.  
Kin: Goldengaze (daughter), Brownpelt (son), Aspenleaf (daughter)  
Apprentice:

Queens:

Dapplesky: Average-size, though tall, calico she-cat with bright green eyes. 19 moons old.  
Kin: Cloverleaf (mother, deceased), Flamestar (father, deceased) Fernstep (sister), Mosswhisker (sister), Amberkit (daughter), Graykit (son), Dawnkit (daughter), Dusk-kit (son)  
Mate: Storm

Warriors:

Shadowpelt: Average-size, lithe she-cat with a pure black pelt and amber eyes. 53 moons old.  
Kin: Spottednight (daughter), Black-kit (grandson), Dark-kit (granddaughter), Frogkit (grandson)  
Mate:  
Apprentice:

Tigerstripe: Large brown tabby tom with green eyes. 41 moons old.  
Kin:  
Mate:  
Apprentice:

Featherfur: Small, long-furred pale gray she-cat with green eyes. 40 moons old.  
Kin: Skypaw (daughter), Acornpaw (daughter), Ashpaw (son), Dustpaw (son)  
Mate: Fishpelt  
Apprentice:

Brackenstep: Large brown tabby tom with green eyes. 35 moons old.  
Kin: Blacknight (son), Darksky(daughter), Frogstep (son)  
Mate: Spottednight  
Apprentice:

Spottednight: Average-size white she-cat with several black patches and amber eyes. 33 moons old.  
Kin: Shadowpelt (mother), Blacknight (son), Darksky(daughter), Frogstep (son)  
Mate: Brackenstep  
Apprentice:

Silverfeather: Average-size gray tabby with amber eyes. 28 moons old.  
Kin:  
Mate:  
Apprentice:

Cloudpelt: Average-size long-furred pale gray tom (almost looks white) with pale blue eyes. 26 moons old.  
Kin:  
Mate:  
Apprentice:

Leafgaze: Average-size pale brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. 23 moons old.  
Kin: Redpelt (sister)  
Mate:  
Apprentice:

Redpelt: Average-size dark ginger she-cat with green eyes. 23 moons old.  
Kin: Leafgaze (sister)  
Mate: Hayleap  
Apprentice:

[s]Cedartail: Large brown tabby tom with deep amber eyes. 14 moons old.  
Kin: Haypaw (brother)  
Apprentice:[/s] [b]Deceased as of Chapter 9[/b]

Hayleap: Large dark golden tabby tom with amber eyes. 19 moons old.  
Kin: Cedarpaw (brother)  
Mate: Redpelt  
Apprentice: Dustpaw

Fernstep: Small tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes. 19 moons old.  
Kin: Dapplepaw (sister), Mosspaw (sister)  
Mate:  
Apprentice:

Mosswhisker: Small tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes. 19 moons old.  
Kin: Dapplepaw (sister), Fernpaw (sister)  
Mate:  
Apprentice:

Goldengaze: Small pale golden tabby she-cat with pale yellow eyes. 13 moons old.  
Kin: Leaftail (mother), Lionstar (father), Brownpaw (brother), Aspenpaw (sister)  
Mate:  
Apprentice:

Brownpelt: Large brown tabby tom with green eyes. 13 moons old.  
Kin: Leaftail (mother), Lionstar (father), Goldenpaw (sister), Aspenpaw (sister)  
Mate:  
Apprentice:

Aspenleaf: Average-size tabby she-cat with yellow eyes. 13 moons old.  
Kin: Leaftail (mother), Lionstar (father), Goldenpaw (sister), Brownpaw (brother)  
Mate:  
Apprentice: Acornpaw

Blacknight: Large black-furred tom with amber eyes. 12 moons old.  
Kin: Spottednight (mother), Brackenstep (father), Darkpaw (sister), Frogpaw (brother)  
Mate:  
Apprentice: Ashpaw

Darksky: Average-size black-furred she-cat with green eyes. 12 moons old.  
Kin: Spottednight (mother), Brackenstep (father), Blackpaw (brother), Frogpaw (brother)  
Mate:  
Apprentice: Skypaw

Frogstep: Average-size brown tabby tom with green eyes. 12 moons old.  
Kin: Spottednight (mother), Brackenstep (father), Blackpaw (brother), Darkpaw (sister)  
Mate:  
Apprentice:

Apprentices:

Skypaw: Small, long-furred pale gray she-cat with green eyes. 6 moons old.  
Kin: Featherfur (mother), Fishpelt (father), Acornpaw (sister), Dustpaw (brother), Ashpaw (brother)  
Mentor: Darksky

Acornpaw: Average-size white she-cat with brown tabby patches and green eyes. 6 moons old.  
Kin: Featherfur (mother), Fishpelt (father), Skypaw (sister), Dustpaw (brother), Ashpaw (brother)  
Mentor: Aspenleaf

Dustpaw: Large gray tom with green eyes. 6 moons old.  
Kin: Featherfur (mother), Fishpelt (father), Skypaw (sister), Acornpaw (sister), Ashpaw (brother)  
Mentor: Hayleap

Ashpaw: Average-size gray tom with green eyes. 6 moons old.  
Kin: Featherfur (mother), Fishpelt (father), Skypaw (sister), Acornpaw (sister), Dustpaw (brother)  
Mentor: Blacknight

Kits:

Mousekit: Small, long-furred solid gray she-cat with pale yellow eyes. 1 moon old.  
Kin: Hawk-kit, Cinderkit

Hawk-kit: Large, brown tabby tom with yellow eyes. 1 moon old.  
Kin: Mousekit, Cinderkit

Cinderkit: Average-size, solid gray she-cat with green eyes. 1 moon old.

Amberkit: Average-size, long-legged tortoiseshell with a lot of ginger and green eyes. 0 moons old.  
Kin: Dapplesky (mother), Storm (father), Graykit (brother), Dawnkit (sister), Dusk-kit (brother)

Graykit: Large, long-legged pale gray tabby tom with green eyes. 0 moons old.  
Kin: Dapplesky (mother), Storm (father), Amberkit (sister), Dawnkit (sister), Dusk-kit (brother)

Dawnkit: Average-size calico she-cat with green eyes. 0 moons old.  
Kin: Dapplesky (mother), Storm (father), Amberkit (sister), Graykit (brother), Dusk-kit (brother)

Dusk-kit: Large, long-furred dark gray tabby tom with green eyes. 0 moons old.  
Kin: Dapplesky (mother), Storm (father), Amberkit (sister), Graykit (brother), Dawnkit (sister)

Rogues:

Storm: Large, pale gray tabby tom with green eyes. 21 moons old.  
Kin: Amberkit (daughter), Graykit (son), Dawnkit (daughter), Dusk-kit (son)  
Mate: Dapplesky

* * *

Screeches and yowls filled the air on a freezing, leaf-bare night. It had only been maybe two days since Dapplesky had given birth to Storm's kits, and all of that noise from ThunderClan territory really worried the tom. He trotted hurriedly out of his den and, as he neared the border between his territory and ThunderClan's, his ears perked. The yowls sounded like they were coming from around the river area. Were ThunderClan and RiverClan having a battle? Storm bolted forward. What if RiverClan advanced to the ThunderClan camp? What if they were after his kits? Maybe Cloverleaf had told RiverClan to steal them to get Storm to join RiverClan and become mates with Rainwater! _No,_ Storm thought, _They won't go anywhere near my kits._ The tom's legs were searing with pain, but he ignored them until he reached the battle.

ThunderClan cats and RiverClan cats were everywhere, but luckily, Dapplesky was nowhere to be seen, which meant she was safely in the nursery, most likely sleeping with the kits at her belly. Storm dove into the battle, attacking the cats that he'd never seen in ThunderClan's camp before. His teeth bit into the hind leg of a black-furred she-cat, and she twisted around to look at him. When she did, a look of surprise and confusion filled her eyes, and Storm used it as a chance to take her down.

When she gave up, Storm's right foreleg was bleeding, but he pressed on, helping ThunderClan take RiverClan out. He noticed Silverfeather flopped on her side at the edge of the battle and quickly approached her. "Silverfeather," The gray tabby said, almost completely out of breath, "What's going on?"

Silverfeather glanced up at Storm and shook her head, "Explain.. later... Get.. Oakpelt!" Storm looked around, standing on his hind legs for a moment, searching desperately for the medicine cat. It was hard to make out _any_ cat in the darkness, especially when the idiots were all fighting and jumbled together. When Storm finally caught sight of Oakpelt, he charged over to him. Oakpelt turned defensively, prepared to lash out at Storm, before he recognized the rogue.

"What are you-" Oakpelt began to ask, his head tipped to the side in confusion.

Storm's tail lashed. It was like Oakpelt saw Storm and only Storm! It was as if a huge battle wasn't going on around them! Oakpelt had cats that needed help _fast_! Storm let out a tired, frustrated hiss, "It doesn't matter! Silverfeather needs help!" He took off, heading back to Silverfeather, and looked back often to make sure Oakpelt was following, which he was. He had leaves that Storm couldn't name to save his life in his mouth, and he was prepared.

"Thanks for letting me know, Storm." Oakpelt meowed, but Storm hardly heard him, because the sounds that all of the other cats were making as he padded off filled his ears instead.

As soon as he'd led the ThunderClanner to Silverfeather, he headed back into the center of the battle, running around and slashing at one cat, then moving on to the next, and again. This seemed to confuse the RiverClan cats a lot, as they would turn and look around, but see that there was no cat there, and before they knew it, they had a ThunderClanner attacking them. However, it didn't work on every cat, and there were multiple instances where Storm got locked into battle with one cat before moving on.

One particular cat gave Storm a big hassle, and that one cat, who was a long-furred gray she-cat, snarled fiercely, "You're not even ThunderClan! I can scent it on you! Stay out of fights that have nothing to do with you, _rogue_!" Storm's reply was a growl. The RiverClanner's bright yellow glare made him flinch, though, and she headbutted him in the chest so hard that it knocked the wind out of him and made him stumble. The she-cat then raked her claws against Storm's left flank and dove under his belly, twisting onto her back and viciously whipping her claws against his belly. Storm let out a yowl of pain and aggravation before jumping away from her and blindly attacking her. "I see you've had no training." She purred in amusement

"RiverClan retreat!" A she-cat's yowl sounded above all the others, and the RiverClan she-cat that Storm was fighting let out a hiss of disagreement. She glared at Storm one last time before following her Clanmates. As the RiverClan cats pelted away, back to their own territory, Storm thought they looked like a stream of cats, and Storm thought that 'RiverClan' was an appropriate name for them. After they were gone, Storm's gaze slowly went from ThunderClan cat to ThunderClan cat, and one in particular ruffled his fur and caused his eyes to widen as far as they could. It was after that moment that Storm looked at his own pelt and noticed he was plastered with blood, both his own and the blood of cats he fought. He realized how tired he was, and how his belly was sliced open, and Storm tried dragging himself over to where Oakpelt stood, over the body that had shocked Storm, but it was too much. _It's all that her fault._ Storm thought as his vision blurred, and confusion, as well as fear, set in.

Then everything was blacker than the sky during the battle.


	16. Chapter 15: The Final Chapter or is it?

Several hours had passed. The sky was covered with pale gray clouds, not a spot of blue or even the sun's bright yellow light could be seen. Storm was blanketed in snow, and it just continued falling. Storm shivered from the cold of the snow that littered his pelt. He felt a paw brush it off and opened his eyes in shock, realizing for the first time that he was definitely _not_ in his nest. Above him was a blurry brown tabby pelt, and nearby, there was a calico with four little ones in front of... him? Her? Her. As Storm's vision focused, he noticed Oakpelt was the cat brushing the snow off his pelt, and Dapplesky was nearby, a 'worried sick' look on her face. Their four kittens shared the same look on their faces, and Storm flicked his tail tip to show his mate and kits that he was alright. They all look relieved at that moment. "Hey, Storm," Oakpelt meowed gently. "How are you feeling?"

"H'rble.." Storm mumbled, his word clearly jumbled. His licked his lips and shook his head, then cleared his throat and repeated it in an understandable manner, "Horrible." Oakpelt nodded, his back turned to the rogue. He took a few leaves and shoved them in Storm's face.

"Eat up." The medicine cat ordered. Storm obeyed. "There's going to be a meeting later. It's only dawn, and they didn't want to alert the others of what's happened yet."

"They?" Storm asked, "Also, what _has_ happened?" Oakpelt glanced over at him and slowly shook his head before turning away again. Storm's gaze went to Dapplesky, and she, too, only shook her head at him.

"Storm?" Graykit slowly padded over to his father, his right forepaw lifted uncertainly in the air. "Are you okay?"

Storm purred gratefully, happy that he had cats who cared about him. "Yeah, I'm fine." Storm quickly ate the leaves, though they tasted horrid and they almost came back up, then sat up in his nest and nearly knocked Graykit over with a little push of his paw.

"Hey!" Graykit hissed playfully, clinging onto Storm's arm and biting him. His siblings joined in, and before Storm knew it, he was fighting off four mini warriors. The rogue looked at his mate with amusement filling his gaze. "They're the best." He meowed proudly.

"That they are." Dapplesky replied happily. Storm noticed Oakpelt walk into the den, and wondered how the medicine cat had left without him noticing, but he supposed it didn't really matter. The brown tabby flicked his tail tip to the entrance and nodded toward it with a look at Storm.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey are to report to the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" A voice yowled. Storm plucked his kits off of his pelt and set them on the ground before padding out, tripping several times as they attacked his hind paws.

Outside of the medicine den, all of the cats were gathered several tail-lengths from the rock. Storm took his place among them uncomfortably, sitting next to Dapplesky and a warrior he didn't know. In the very front of the crowd was a large brown tabby tom with three kits before him, and in front of them were two bodies on the ground, laying still. One was the cat Storm had recognized, the one that he had seen when he'd blacked out.

"Cats of ThunderClan, we have lost two important cats in the battle with RiverClan last night. RiverClan, too, has lost a few warriors. I now officially announce the deaths of Lionstar and Shadowpelt." One black-furred she-cat, the one that Storm had seen guarding the camp entrance before, yowled in agony. "Lionstar will be missed, not just by his mate, Leaftail, or his daughters and son, but by all of ThunderClan. Shadowpelt, too, will be missed, and not just by her daughter, Spottednight, but by all of ThunderClan." Spottednight. That must be the name of the guard she-cat, Storm decided. "I have received my nine lives and name. I am now Fishstar, leader of ThunderClan!" Yowls of both approval and anger were shouted.

Wait, _anger_? Storm's ears flattened to his head in confusion. Why were some of these cats angry? Was it possible that they actually _missed_ Lionstar? The tom glanced over at Dapplesky and whispered, "Why are some cats angry about Fishstar being leader?"

"He and his father, Troutblaze, were RiverClan cats. Troutblaze brought Fishstar he when he was only a kit." Dapplesky quietly explained.

Storm thought it was harsh, to be angry with a cat for being leader just because they were born in another Clan, but it was none of his business. "Fishstar!" A sharp call sounded from the camp entrance. A long-furred she-cat padded into the camp, two warriors standing at her sides, but they weren't parallel to her. They were slightly behind, marking her as the leader. "Keep those fish-brained kits of yours. RiverClan has lost too many warriors. Far more than those three will ever be worth." She glared at the brown tabby tom in the front of the crowd, "Never mate with one of our warriors again, Tigerstripe. Stay away from Streamleap at all costs. You've caused her immense pain with all of this." She paused, looking up at Fishstar again, "We formally surrender Mousekit, Hawk-kit, and Cinderkit to you, but remember, ThunderClan _stole_ them and several other RiverClanners."

"Fine, Nightstar. ThunderClan is glad you no longer wish to fight, and that you see which Clan is the _right_ one to raise those kits." Fishstar meowed calmly. Nightstar spat before heading back out of camp. Streamleap. Was she the cat that seemed the most vicious during the battle? The one that seemed to so strongly hate Storm? "My first decree as leader," Fishstar began, "Storm, please step forward." Storm's eyes widened in surprise. He felt all of the cats' eyes on him once again, and he took a deep breath before padding forward. Tigerstripe took his three kits and blended into the crowd, leaving the front for Storm. "Storm, you fought valiantly in the battle against RiverClan last night. You fought alongside ThunderClan, yet you are not even one of us. Nobody asked you to come." He paused for a moment before continuing, "I never agreed with Lionstar always forcing you to leave ThunderClan. I believe you should be here for your kits as they grow older. Storm, would you do ThunderClan the honor of having you as a warrior?"

Storm dipped his head to the ThunderClan leader, "I would gladly join ThunderClan, Fishstar."

Fishstar leaped down easily from the Highrock and set his chin on Storm's head, "Then I now name you Stormblaze, warrior of ThunderClan!" The ThunderClan cats yowled their approval. Few seemed to disagree. Stormblaze had proved himself without even trying, without wanting to, without caring to.

In the beginning, Stormblaze never would've _dreamed_ of joining a Clan. He didn't want to. As he took Dapplesky as a mate, he still didn't want to. Stormblaze wanted to visit his kits often, but he hadn't changed his mind. However, after fighting alongside ThunderClan, after seeing how they really were, a family, he knew that ThunderClan was his true home.

Oh, but Stormblaze's story isn't over yet. No, far from it. Stormblaze's story, his legacy, has just begun.

* * *

A/N: Yay! The first fanfiction I've ever actually finished, even if it's only 15 chapters long. X3 Watch for its sequel, which is titled "Different as Day and Night"!

Also, sorry it took me so long to get this up. I kept forgetting.


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